Wrapping up the workweek before the Labor Day three-day weekend (we’ll still have content all weekend, though, so keep checking back!), we go coast to coast with player transfers, players to watch and commit news…

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*** Not surprisingly, this is the time of the year when there’s a lot of player movement with tryouts just wrapping up and teams being solidified for the 2014-15 club season.

One of those is Delaney Elling, a 2016 6-foot first baseman/catcher who will now be playing with the Wagners 3n2 18U Gold team.

Delaney has committed to Penn State and was named the Pennsylvania AAA All-State 1^st team catcher as a sophomore last season.  She hit .684, had 32 RBI, and scored 27 runs.

The Big Ten bound-junior was also a two time invitee to the OnDeck National Elite Futures Camp (2012 and 2013) in Walnut, Calif.

A 4.0 student, she scored a 30 on the ACT and plans to major in Bio-Medical Engineering and choose Penn State over Stanford.

“I was looking to stay closer to home,” she says, “and love the coaching staff at PSU. I really connected with Head Coach Amanda Lehotak.”

Delaney is one of the top prospects in the East and a good candidate for the 2016 Hot 100 list.

 

*** American Freedom Gold founder and head coach Tim Soefje has the program headed in a good direction with 10 teams up in running in Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma.

His Freedom Gold-Soefje team tied for 5^th at PGF Nationals Platinum and he is bullish on one of his sophomore players, third baseman Amanda Roth who has committed to Ole Miss.

“Please consider Amanda for your 2017 Top Players to Watch,” Coach Soefje writes. “She is undeniably one of the top power hitters in the country in the 2017 class. This kid hit over .400 at PGF and hit more than 15 home runs in the 2013-14 season, including 10 in the summer. She was heavily recruited by numerous top Div. I programs.”

 

*** A long-time friend of the program and good all-around coach is Jan Greenhawk, the co-head coach of the Wagner’s M/G Gold program. The Wagner’s program is the one that produced USA National Team members Kourtney Salvarola and Lauren Gibson.

Jan writes to say, “I have some kids that I think belong on the 2016 Watch list.” And if she says so, I’ll add them to the list!

Here’s what she wrote:

— OF Hannah Lewis (2016, throws left/hits left)
Perry Hall (Md.)
“Hannah is a natural left-handed outfielder who simply cannot be outhustled or outworked. Whether diving in the outfield to make that impossible catch or being aggressive on the base paths, Hannah just doesn’t quit. She was 1st Team All-Metro Baltimore Sun in 2014, All-Baltimore County, and all division.”

“Her batting average of .568 and on-base percentage of .680 makes her an amazing lead off hitter. Although small in physical stature, her speed, quickness and ability to read the ball make her an amazing defensive player. Offensively, she is difficult to defend as she can slap, bunt and hit with power.”

— OF Darby Fitzpatrick (2016, throws right/ hits left)
Holly Grove (Pocomoke, Md.)
“Darby is a tall, athletic outfielder and slap hitter with the combination of power and speed. She led her high school team in all offensive categories, was 14-1 in the circle and was voted team MVP. In the outfield, Darby steals extra base hits with her ability to read the ball off the bat and to make that diving catch or the catch at the wall.”

“At the plate, she can bunt, slap and hit with legitimate power. She has a strong, accurate arm and can throw a runner out at home from any field. Darby is from a small Christian school and therefore had no league honors, but she really captured some attention this summer with her hitting and defensive play.”

— P/1B Haley Simonds (2016, throws right/ hits right)
“Haley is a 6-foot tall pitcher and power Hitter who plays with an aggressive, confident attitude. Whether she is in the circle, hitting, or on first, she is a strong physical and mental presence in the game. As a pitcher, she has a wicked drop ball that keeps batters off balance. At the plate she has home run power and is a very smart hitter who can hit to all fields. Her batting average of .483 and her on-base percentage of .587 keep opposing pitchers wary! One of the things we are excited about is that she never stops working to learn more and get even better. As a sophomore, she was named to the Capital Gazette All County First team and was also Honorable Mention Baltimore Sun Female Athlete of the Week.”

 

*** Team changes: the following commits are now playing for the Arkansas Heat Gold per a source close to the team:

— SS/OF Chase Nelson (2015, Arkansas)
— P Peyton Carter (2015, Arkansas)
— OF/UT Morgan Felts (2015, Arkansas)
— OF Sydney Parr (2015, Arkansas)
— SS Braxton Burnside (2016, Missouri)

 

*** Greg Hale of the Southeast Iowa Hawks Gold team writes to promote a couple of Iowa players for Hot 100 consideration:

“I wanted to nominate three Iowa players from the 2016 class for your upcoming Hot 100.

“One is catcher / 1^st baseman Iowa Premier Gold’s Kendyl Lindaman who is a Minnesota Golden Gopher recruit.  The other is Southeast Iowa Hawk Gold’s pitcher Morgan Christner who is an Illinois State recruit.  Both players are fantastic at what they do.”

“ Both are 1^st Team All Staters and both were recruited by several D1’s.  Lindaman is a power hitting freakshow and Christner is a K a minute type pitcher. Morgan threw a no-hitter Saturday versus the Central Illinois Diamondstorm Elite in the PGF Stars of Tomorrow Showcase.  I have no idea how Lindaman did this weekend at the PGF, but I am sure it involved homers or intentional walks!”

“The last one is Alyssa Wiebel, a 2016 third baseman that was the Player of the Year in Class 3A and was one of the leaders in home runs (14) and batting average (over .500) with a slugging percentage over 1.0.  She plays for Iowa Premier Gold and was recruited by Arizona and Purdue and a few others before making the decision to be an Illinois State Redbird.”

 

*** More verbals:
— UT Ashlyn Barnes (2017, Samford)… plays for Atlanta Vipers-Vallery
— IF Amber Bishop (2016, Liberty)… plays for Strike Force Gold
— OF Autumn Bishop (2016, Liberty)… plays for Strike Force Gold
— P Quinn Breidenbach (2016, Massachusetts)… plays for Washington Ladyhawks
— P Julie Hodges (2015, Appalachian State)… plays for NC Challengers
— P Devyn Magnett (2016, Long Beach State)… plays for Firecrackers-Brashear
— SS Peyton Moritz (2016, Florida Gulf Coast)… plays for Florida Fire
— P Akilah Mouzon (2016, Maine)… plays for New Jersey Pride
— P Sarah Ogle (2015, Carleton College)… plays for San Diego Power Surge-Trammell
— 1B/C Ashton Slone (2017, Miami-Ohio)… plays for Beverly Bandits
— IF Taylor Sweigart (2017, LaSalle)… plays for Newton Rock Gold
— SS Tiffany Thompson (2016, Sam Houston State)… plays for Texas Peppers Gold
— 3B/SS Keri White (2016, Appalachian State)… plays for NC Challengers